And I Thought I Was Rid of You
by CalvinWinchester97
Summary: This is a beginning of a Eclare romance story about Eli's father. it's my first fanfic.please read and review! i hope you like it!
1. And I thought I was rid of you

_And I Thought I Was Rid Of You _

_Clare's POV_

**He wasn't far from me.**

**He stood, listening to his lab partner talk excitedly about something Eli was obviously trying his best to pretend to be interested in. He kept looking from me to Kyle, as if willing Kyle to finish talking. **

**The next time he looked back at me I smiled at him, he grinned back helplessly. **

**My heart beat wildly. It only took the slightest look or smile to make me melt. I couldn't hear what Kyle was saying, but I watched as Eli put a hand on his arm and say something. Kyle's face fell, but he didn't protest as Eli turned and walked away.**

"**Sorry." he apoplogized. "He's really into chemistry." He motioned back towards Kyle. **

**I smiled. "You're sweet for trying." I said as we walked towards the door.**

"**Trying what?" he asked, confused.**

"**For trying to be interested in chemistry for him."**

**Eli shrugged. "My grades depend on his intellect. So keeping him happy seems mandatory."**

**We walked out to Morty and headed out. "My parents are gone this weekend. They went to some 'marriage reformation' seminar our pastor begged them to go to." I said, my use of air quotes making Eli smile. **

**He watched me closely. "You really hate being alone, don't you?" he asked. **

"**Sometimes, I like it. The quiet is good, occasionally. But, other times….." I searched for an explanation that would make sense.**

"**Sometimes the silence gets too loud?" Eli guessed. **

**I was surprised. That was exactly it. "Yes! Exactly."**

**Eli nodded. "I get that."**

**I watched him, knowing he was thinking about his own frequent solitude. We road in silence, both of us needing the time to think. One of the things I loved about Eli most was the fact that he could be silent. He knew that sometimes I just needed to think, and that thinking could get lonely. **

"**What's your family like, Eli?"**

"**I'm not sure you really want to know that, Clare."**

**I wondered if I did. "I'll know better if you tell me."**

**He shrugged. "What do you want to know?"**

"**Do you have any siblings?" it seemed like a generic enough question to start with. **

"**I have two older brothers. One ran off to some town in Bolivia, the other is the picture of perfection. He lives in Maine, married with a kid."**

**He didn't seem to want to talk about it. I let it go. **_**Bolivia?**_** I thought. If you're going to run away from home, why would you choose Bolivia?**

"**He's a Christian, he's a missionary there."**

**I looked at him. "My brother. Bolivia." He said to jog my memory.**

**I stared at him. Crap. He really could read my mind. "Are you absolutely positive that you can't read my mind?"**

**Eli smirked. "It's one of my many talents."**

**I laughed. "Sure."**

**Eli pulled up in front of his house. "Why are we here?" I asked.**

**Eli smirked at me. "Your parents are gone for the weekend and my mother is undoubtedly gone. Why else?"**

**I smiled, blushing, abandoning my former Saintliness. I found myself not caring anymore. Eli caught me up into his arms as I exited the car. **

**No one's lips had ever felt so much like they belonged against mine as his did. Eli let me go for a moment as we walked closer to the door. We stopped again in the doorway, as Eli pulled me back into his arms. His hands slipped under my shirt as I reached back and opened the door. **

**We stumbled in. I opened my eyes for a moment and my face instantly flushed. "Eli,"**

"**Something wrong?" he asked, pulling his lips from my neck for a moment. **

"**Eli," I tried again. **

"**Spit it out Edwards." Looking back, I would have hit him then if I hadn't been so embarrassed.**

**I grabbed a hold of his shoulders and turned him towards the living room. **

**Eli's mouth dropped open. **

**There, on the couch, sat his father.**


	2. I'm sorry I'm not perfect

_I'm sorry I'm not perfect_

_Eli's POV_

**I couldn't believe this. The man I hadn't seen in four years was sitting on my couch, staring at me. He got up and walked toward Clare and I. he smiled. I didn't have to make an effort not to. **

"**Eli!" he was happy. Why?**

**I nodded at him. His face fell for a moment, then instantly brightened again as the tall woman who had been sitting next to him came to face us. "Eli, this is my fiancé, Gina."**

"**Pleased to meet you." Gina smiled at me.**

**I reached back and pulled Clare forward to stand next to me. Her face was a deep scarlet color as I introduced her. "This is my girlfriend, Clare. Clare, this is my father."**

**I felt terrible willingly introducing her to a man I resented so much. She smiled and shook the hand my father was offering. She and Gina smiled at each other. "We were hoping you and Clare would enjoy our company this weekend."**

**It didn't sound like a question, though I wished it was. Every moment with my father was one more moment I wanted to dive off a cliff. **

**Clare caught the look in my eyes and pulled me aside. "Can I talk to you for a second, Eli?" She dragged me around the corner. **

"**Yes?"**

"**You can't blow your dad off." She stated.**

"**And why not?"**

"**Because, Eli, he's your **_**father.**_**"**

"**Is that supposed to mean something important?"**

"**What did he do to make you so mad at him?" she asked, clearly exasperated. **

"**Well, I think I'll shorten the answer to this: he left my two brothers and me alone with my mom, who soon became a drunk who does everything half-ass, including holding a job." I told her bluntly.**

**Clare stared at me as if I'd slapped her. "I'm, I'm sorry, I didn't know." She looked so small, her cheeks red and her eyes full of remorse.**

**I sighed and pulled her into my arms. "I didn't say that so you would be sorry, Clare. I said it so you'd understand."**

"**I know." Her voice was muffled since she was pressing so hard against me. **

**She stepped back, her face still red. "You've got to get rid of that blush, or they'll think a lot more than a conversation happened between us." I said, smiling as I pressed my hands gently over her red cheeks.**

"**Your hands are a lot colder than they were a few minutes ago." She said, her smile coy.**

**I smiled and threw my arm around her shoulders as we went back to join Gina and my father.**

"**Sorry, we would love to spend the weekend with you." Clare said before I could open my mouth to tell my father to get lost.**

"**Wonderful!" Gina exclaimed, way too much enthusiasm. **

**Clare looked up at me, a proud smile on her face. I shot her a look and her smile widened. **_**Great**_**, I thought. **_**A weekend with my dad.**_** But with Clare at my side in this new mood, who knows what it'll turn out to be?**


	3. If I could, I would

_If I could, I would_

_Clare's POV_

**I was quite proud of myself. Just because Eli and his dad had a bad past didn't mean it had to stay that way, did it? Eli was clearly not pleased with my interference in his life, but I knew he wouldn't stay mad for too long. Our fist activity for 'Family Bonding Weekend' was**** dinner out that night. **

**Eli and I stood in the kitchen waiting for James and Gina to be ready to leave. "We would **_**love **_**to? Really, Clare?"**

**I hadn't seen much of James Goldsworthy, but what I did see wasn't the picture of a bloodsucking monster Eli had painted in my head with his explanation of him. "I just thought you and your father should have the opportunity to reconcile."**

"**Ha!" Eli had a cynical expression on his face. "He's had plenty of opportunities."**

"**And did you help him along?"**

**Eli fixed his gaze on me, making me melt. "We both made mistakes, but that doesn't mean we want or need to reconcile." **

**I let it go. He leaned against the counter, arms crossed, eyes brooding. This was typically how people saw Eli, in a quiet, seemingly dark mood. What they didn't know was that was not all Elijah Goldsworthy was. He was much, much more. He was a writer. He was brilliant. He was a piano player. He loved people. And, best of all, he was mine. **

**James and Gina returned. "So are we ready?" James asked. **

**We all trooped out to our cars, ready to plan our battle strategies. "Eli?" I had to say something before we got there, or this night was going to be worse that I ever imagined. **

"**Yeah?"**

"**I know you hate him, but can you at least give him a chance?"**

**Eli sighed. "He's had chances Clare, a lot of them."  
I wasn't going to let it go this time. "Eli, I know he doesn't deserve it, but can you give him one more chance?"**

"**Give me a good reason to."**

"**What if he came just to make things right with you, Eli?"**

**Eli scoffed. "Clare, if you knew him better you wouldn't ask that."**

**I reached across to take his hand in mine. "If you won't be nice to him just for him, then do it for me. Please."**

**Eli sighed. "Clare," he started, I didn't let him finish.**

"**Eli, please. My family is a wreck, so is yours, if you have the chance to make yours less of one, don't give it up."**

**Eli was quiet the rest of the way. **

**We pulled into the parking lot of the Dot and Eli stopped the car, turning to face me, he said. "Fine Clare. But I'm doing this for you, not for him."**

**I smiled. "All I ask is that you be nice to him."**

"**Alright Clare." He resigned.**

**His tone almost made me feel bad for pushing so hard. Eli reached for my hand as we walked towards James and Gina. I felt I was forgiven. **

**Soon, the four of us were sitting at a table by the window. I gathered by the look on James' face he had gotten into a similar conversation with Gina. I marveled at how much James and Eli looked like each other. Their hair, with the exception of the slight graying at James' temples, was the same color. Both had the same green eyes that seemed as if they were searching your soul. But tonight, James' eyes looked Eli over disapprovingly. I prepared myself for the fight that was inevitably going to break loose at some point. **

**The silence was awkward. The two men obviously weren't much for making an effort. I was beginning to notice more and more of the father Eli portrayed seep out of James Goldsworthy.**

"**Well, I bet you're both wondering what we're doing here." Gina said as lightly as she could.**

"**Obviously." Eli muttered. **

**I shot him a look. This was going to be a long night.**

_Eli's POV_

_**Try. **_**Her eyes told me. I wasn't in the mood. I had been looking forward to a night that was **_**very**_** different than this.**

"**We're actually on our way to Vegas."**

_**Then, dear god, please go there! **_**I thought. "Really?" Clare replied. **

_**Kill me now.**_

"**Yes. We're very excited."**

**Both women's smiles faded. "So, uh, Gina, what do you do for a living?"**

**Poor Clare. And she probably thought she'd get a normal answer. "Well," Gina began, taking a sip of her water. "I am a model," she said, motioning to herself. "And James is a producer." She finished, looking fondly at my father.**

**I was disgusted at her admiration. Clare obviously wasn't. "A producer, wow. Are you in the music business?"**

**Gina looked uncomfortably and my father, putting a hand on his arm. "Well, we're still pretty, uh, new to the music scene." She said.**

**I couldn't help but smirk. This just kept getting better and better. Clare smacked my arm. "Be nice!" she hissed. **

"**So, Eli, you still in school?" my father asked. **

"**Actually, yes." I replied, injecting as much sting into the words as I could. **

**My dad didn't acknowlege this, he only leaned forward. "Clare, as far a I can tell, you are not a gothic, an emo kid, or a high school drop-out. So why are you with my son?"**

**Clare didn't seem ruffled. "Sir, whether you choose to see it or not, your son is an amazing person, and I love him."**

**God I loved her. My father only laughed. "Wow Eli, how much are you paying her?"**

**Both women stood up quickly. "You two must be tired from your trip." Clare said at the same time Gina said. "We're pretty tired from our trip." **

**Gina pulled my dad up by his arm and started pushing him towards the door. "We'll find our way back." Gina called over her shoulder, attempting a smile at Clare. **

"**I am so sorry." Clare said, staring after them.**

**I put my arm around her waist and pulled her closer to me. "Don't be."**

_Clare's POV_

**I felt horrible. I had pushed my boyfriend into this, this was my fault. Eli didn't seem to be too shaken as we walked around town that night. It was beautiful. The street lamp illuminated the sidewalks in an almost romantic way. But somehow I couldn't get the events of the evening out of my head. I was so guilty. What blew my mind was the way Eli didn't seem affected at all. It made me worry even more.**

"**Eli, can I ask you a question?"**

"**Sure."**

"**Has he always been like that? Acting as if he expects you to be, a... a failure?"**

**Eli sighed, which he seemed to be doing a lot of this evening. "Clare, my father isn't a nice person. In his mind, he's never failed, except for my mom and I. I am my dad's only failure. Look at Joseph and Cameron; one's traveling Europe, the other's a missionary with a picture perfect family." He didn't seem to be too bothered by his label.**

"**Has he said that to you?"**

"**No, but every interaction we've had tells me that. If I could be everything he wants, I would. But right now, all I am to him is the Goth drop-out. The Goldsworthy failure. The black sheep. "**

"**Is that the way you see yourself?"**

**Eli thought about this, cocking his head to one side. "Not really."**

"**Good," I said, squeezing his arm and laying my head on his shoulder. "Because I think you're the most, amazing, talented, hot, boyfriend ever."**

**I was laying it on pretty thick, I knew. But I loved Eli more than I'd ever loved anyone, and now that he needed me there, I wasn't the least bit hesitant to tell him how I felt.**

**Eli kissed the top of my head. "Thank you." he said. "You're really amazing, Clare." **


End file.
